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Volendrunus Clan
The Clan of Volendrunus were once a member of the mighty Tyraxus Tribe, but have since been expelled from the Tribe because of grave crimes committed against their kin. Until they can bring a symbol of their penance, they are unwelcome by the Tyraxus or their allies. History Founding The Volendrunus were originally founded by the Chieftain Volendrunus, grandfather to the current Chief Volendrunus. A warrior of some renown, he was a close ally of Tyraxus the Elder's father, Tularkus. When Tyraxus the Elder brought fame and power to the Clan, during the waning years of of the Great War, Volendrunus allied his clan with them, using ancient blood ties to achieve allegiance. The Volendrunus, along with the Meteranus, would be the first Clans to join the growing Tribe. Great War Schism Post War After the war, the Clan would move to the leadership of Golus, son of Volendrunus and continue to serve as the left had of the Tyraxus Clan. However, during a routine patrol above an uncharted world, Golus was ambushed by the Covenant. His warships were destroyed and his forces trapped amongst mountains on the surface. Besieged for almost six weeks, the toll had been catastrophic. Of 7000 warriors, only 800 survived when ships from the Tyraxus clan found them and relieved them. During the siege most were deprived of sleep and once they ran out of food, they were forced to consume the corpses of their fallen warriors. Golus lost two of his brothers and his eldest son, and became convinced they Tyraxus Clan had simply not bothered to look for him, when in truth they had begun extensive searches for him the day after he failed to report in. All of these losses drove Golus insane with grief, and this insanity quickly spread. At the Koruk, the meeting of the clean leaders, it quickly became apparent that Golus had lost his mind, and his insanity and mindless ravings had spread to his clan, who believed they had been abandoned by his allies. When a routine patrol for Covenant ships resulted in Golus massacring almost 3000 civilians without any evidence of their allegiance, the other chieftains distanced themselves. They began trusting him less and less with tasks, and his domain ceased to grow. This further deepened his madness. Despite this, his son and heir, Volendrunus, had become close to Tyraxus, and swore in each other as blood brothers. Growing ever madder, he began to bring a plan into place to seize the Tribe for himself and exact revenge. Betrayal Convinced Tyraxus, Iramus and Meteranus were plotting against him, Golus assigned his best agents to sow mistrust among the Tribe, culminating in framing Qrevemum for an attempted assassination on Tyraxus and Iramus. Hoping to tear apart the Tribe with civil war, then seize control, he wasn't counting on Caeus to not only prove Qrevemum's innocence, but uncover evidence of Golus' involvement. Instead of waiting, Golus attacked with the full force of his tribe, intending to capture Tirex's rest while the majority of their armies were away. In the ensuing battle Meteranus' mate and one of his sons were killed, Iramus wounded and countless civilians killed. Battering on the doors of the council chambers, Golus announced his intentions. He would kill Tyraxus, his entire family and Meteranus and his kin, then seize power, to avenge the deaths of his family and clan. At this point, Volendrunus realised the depths of his father's insanity and challenged him to a battle for right of control of the Clan. Casting down his father, taking up his hammer and announcing his control of the Clan, he ordered his forces to retreat. Falling back to their ships, then in turn to defensive positions at the edge of the system, when the Tyraxi and Meterani fleets arrived, he met them with a single ship to parley. Exile While a close friend of Tyraxus, and responsible for ceasing the attack on the capital, he was complicit to the attack on the Tribe and had killed many warriors himself. His clan had been willing to follow Golus into betrayal as well and had slaughtered unarmed men, women and children. After convening peace talks (During which Meteranus repeatedly threatened to rip Volendrunus in half and violate his sisters, all at the same time), it was decided that the Volendruni would be exiled from Tyraxus space. They would receive no aid, be welcome at no port of theirs, or their allows and could only return if they performed a penitent crusade. During the assault by the Volendrunus clan, mercenary auxiliaries hired by the clan had looted numerous archives, stealing information, charts and most importantly, relics. Nine were stolen in all, each a part of the Tribes history. With the ultimatum given, the Volendrunus clan departed their former home, and set out into the stars. The First Three Years The first three years of their exile were some of the toughest challenges followed by Volendrunus and his clan. Many believed that the Volendruni should turn back and attack the Tribe, despite the fact they were massively out numbered and out gunned. Volendrunus took a great many challenges to his throne, both direct challenges and subversive plots. He weathered them all, but infighting left their strength waning and loyalties divided. Using the last of their wealth to resupply, they planned to find work as mercenaries in the war torn Urakas territories. Journeying through Nor Yarag, their rag tag fleet was assaulted by a fleet of raiders. The fleet began to splinter until rallied by Volendrunus, who rounded the ships up, positioned them in a defensive position and fended off the raiders. Earning the trust of his clan, he brought them back onto their journey. When they got to the Urakas territories, they immediately found work, providing security for much larger clans in the region. While many of the clan shared views with the Tyraxi on notions of honour and justice, such ideals would not get the clan through the long night they were in, forcing them to take drastic measures. Their numbers severely reduced, they resorted to slave raiding, assaulting three human colonies. Utilising overwhelming numbers and sheer intimidation, they captured all three colonies without firing a single shot and rounded up the populace. Stripped of their belongings and herded into the cargo bays, these slaves would soon help to rebuild the strength of the clan. They began small scale raiding of weaker clans, traders and human colonies, if only to keep up their numbers and provisions. however, things were about to take a turn for the better. A New Home During their various raids in the souther Jiralhanae territories, they discovered a human colony, more or less by chance. This world, pretty much on the border between Noth'Kratal and Chimera Beta, had survived raids be being exceptionally well hidden amongst several nebulae. The Clan only discovered it when they shadowed a human transport with the intent to capture it and its cargo. The world, by all rights, looked to be a paradise. It was verdant and green, hot weather year round and surrounded by mineral rich asteroids. By this point, the Volendrunus were extremely worn down, and barely capable of maintaining their fleet. Volendrunus marked this to be their new home, its seizure of the highest priority. The small colony had long relied on its hidden nature for protection, but when the clan fleet emerged from slipspace above their world, they had little means of defence. At that point Volendrunus opened up communication and gave them a simple ultimatum. Surrender themselves and all their weapons, and nobody would be hurt. Faced with looming orbital bombardment and follow up invasion, the colony elected to surrender without a fight. Bellioc Legion, with Volendrunus at their head went down to the surface to surround the primary settlement, Ruslan, while Ulakan surrounded the other, Green Hill, with other units rounded up the smaller farm lands and hamlets. Volendrunus and the colony leader met between the two to negotiate their terms of surrender. Volendrunus' terms were simple. They surrender and become slaves, or Volendrunus takes Ruslan by force, and they still become slaves. Surrendering would spare thousands of lives. He promised that he would bring no harm to them should they surrender peacefully. The colony leader told him he'd need time to discuss this and retreated to the settlement. Twenty minutes later both sides heard news of resistance at Green Hill, with the colonists shooting the unarmed delegation. At less than 10 kilometres away and on the opposite hill, both sides could see the destruction rained upon Green Hill by Ulakan legion. At the sight of this, the settlement surrendered, rather than risk this. Either way, they'd be slaves. At Green Hills, Ulakan legion came under fire from small arms fire. Rather than risk marching his infantry across open ground, the commander began to fire upon the resistance with artillery and air strikes. After 20 minutes of sustained strikes, he marched his forces to the gates, headed by armoured vehicles. Any and all resistance was not tolerated, and the settlement was taken by force, with warriors moving from house to house, dragging out any survivors and clapping them in chains. Within two hours, the settlement was taken and everyone in it killed or captured. The remaining warriors lit any still standing structures on fire, and razed the entire settlement to the ground. Of the 35,000 colonists, almost 9000 were killed, and the rest taken by the Volendruni. At Ruslan, Bellioc legion marched in without firing a shot. colonists were ordered out of their home and to move out of the settlement in an orderly fashion and assemble outside the front gate, and to take nothing with them besides themselves. Once the settlement was clear, the Jiralhanae scrubbed it for anything of use, such as industrial units, water purifiers and electronics, then razed it as well. They rounded up a total of 70,000 colonists, along with 3,000 colonists from the outer settlements. The surviving colonists were brought to a temporary camp, with rudimentary shelter, while the new tenants began colonisation. A number of transport ships and heavily damaged warships began to descend to the surface. Landing these ships, they were broken down and reconstituted to form the basis of their new colony, which Volendrunus named Asoduro, Jiralhanae for remorse. The capital of Goris began construction from the hulks of their fallen ships, stripping plating, electronics and other systems to build a new city. The numerous new slaves were also given their brutal introduction to the clan and were stripped of their belongings, fitted with collars and set to work building this new city. They'd also secured a number of standard template construction devices, allowing them to construct an orbital gravity lift and shipyard. Base Of Power Volendrunus now sank every resource he possessed into attempting to form his own capital on this world. Vast swathes of land were converted to farm land, automated mineral extractors scoured the asteroids for vital materials and construction on their city steamed ahead. Free Jiralhanae and Slave alike toiled for hours under the sun to build their capital, until the first liveable blocks were established. Using STC and remote fabrication, they could construct more advanced structures remotely and drop them down to the surface via gravity lift. After two months of back breaking work, the main infrastructure of the city had been laid. Now the Volendruni could begin the next step of rebuilding. Between their attack on the Tyraxus Tribe and their exile, almost one third of the clan had perished or otherwise been lost to them. While their numbers would return in time, there was only one means for them to recoup their significant losses and rebuild their strength. They would need significantly more slaves. They had initially brought slaves with them, but by the time they'd gotten to the Urakas sectors, they'd lost a significant number of them also. Small amounts of raiding had brought them almost 100,000 slaves, half of which were human, the other half Jiralhanae, but the subjugation of Asoduro doubled that number. Still, it wouldn't be enough. To replenish their strength, they'd need significantly more manpower. Volendrunus and his inner circle of Chieftains devised a plan to rebuild their military and economic power to be almost entirely dependent on slaves. They used the writings in the historic Tagran Scrolls, which detailed a great many doctrines of Jiralhanae culture, to create a new social order, where a small amount of free Jiralhanae, forming the clan, would rule over a larger number of slaves. These slaves would come to represent 75% of the clan's entire labour force, and 60% of their armed forces. They traded vast amounts of food and materials for slaves, bought them at market, and raided Jiralhanae clans, Kig-Yar colonies and human colonies. In a 9 month period, they went from a force of 300,000 slaves, to 960,000. These slaves would serve them in every capacity, including manual labour, administration, and combat. However, this rise to power would not go unchallenged. A rival clan, Odacanus, had long been dominant in these territories, and found frequently less and less work and trade with other clans, as the Volednruni increased in strength and influence. Attacking a Volendruni trade vessel, they intended to wear them down through acts of piracy. Instead they were met by overwhelming force, as they deployed their forces en-mass. A great many of the Volednruni had been itching for true battle, and many Chieftains wished to test the mettle of their slave-warriors in the arena of battle. Odacanus raiders were met by well trained and well disciplined warships of the Volendruni. The proceeding battles followed a simple path. Raiders would lie in wait on known trade routes, and see a lone trade ship. Upon ambush, they would be confronted by a whole fleet dropping out of slipspace and would consequently be annihilated. The Volednruni went to great lengths to capture ships intact, disabling their weapons and boarding them, taking any surviving crew as slaves, then towing the vessels back to their Asoduro. When they finally dispersed the raiders, they struck the Odacani's world. A desert rich in fuel for starships and plasma reactors, they had established substantial fuel extraction outposts. When the Volednruni arrived in-system, the Odacani had barely 3 dozen ships, most of which were battle damaged. They went up against 122 battle hardened warships, who promptly tore them apart in orbit. Establishing orbital dominance, they offered the Odacanus tribe the opportunity to surrender. The Odacani promptly refused. The Volendruni glassed a block of their capital. The Odacani refused. The Volendruni glassed another. The Odacani faltered. Several lesser Chieftains, choosing between slavery and oblivion, chose slavery and promptly rebelled against their Clan Chieftain, sabotaging the defences of the capital and opening the way for a ground invasion by the Volendruni. The ground invasion was brutal and uncompromising, with sustained artillery bombardment and air strikes reduced their city to a crumbling hive of ruins. Advancing in, anybody that resisted were immediately killed, without care for collateral. In time, the majority of the city was taken by the Volendruni. Every warrior of the Odacanus clan who refused to surrender were killed in battle or executed. Those that willingly surrendered were placed in restraints and escorted out of the city to their camp established outside. The women and children of the Odacanus were taken as slaves, and the Odacani's own slaves were taken by the Volendrunus as loot from the battle. Battering down the doors to the Chieftain's keep, Volendrunus refused to allow him a warrior's death, and subjected him to remain a prisoner in his own dungeon for years to come, while making his mate, his numerous concubines and his many offspring slaves of the Volendrunus. When they were finally done, the Volendrunus razed any standing structure and established a small and mostly automated fuel extraction outpost, before returning home with their substantial haul of slaves. The Crusade Clan Structure The Clan is ruled unquestionably by Volendrunus. He directs the clan in both political and military matters, and often delegates military operations to lesser Chieftains, commanding legions within his Clan. The military structure is built up of Legions, each lead by a high ranking Chieftain. Within these Legions are War Packs, each lead by a lesser Chieftain. these Chieftains are accompanied by elite groups of loyal bodyguards, who have fought for their Chieftain on multiple occasions, and would willingly give their lives for his. Chieftains also have direct access to highly elite special forces teams, for delicate operations, and Stalkers for observing both enemy and ally alike. Each War Pack is made up of a mixture of Packs and Slave Packs. Under him are the packs. Each Pack is lead by a Captain, and consists of a Captain Major, who directs two lances, usually six Brutes of various Minor ranks, with a senior Minor Ultra who is in charge. They'll usually be armed with infantry weapons, with two carrying long barrelled rifles instead of carbine and short weapons, and a Jiralhanae carrying a heavier weapon, such as a Brute Shot, or Concussion Rifle. These packs are highly adjustable before a mission and have a number of varieties, such as Packs with heavy weapon specialists, carrying Fuel Rod cannons into battle to provide heavy fire against armour and structures, armoured Packs, that might use Wraiths, Choppers or Ghosts, or mechanized squadrons using Prowlers. They might also have Air Packs, with Banshees, Seraphs and Phantoms, as well as other vehicles. They also have a handful of Scarab walkers, used for high-risk battles. Other specialised packs might include Jump Pack units, who use their enhance mobility in urban combat, or gaining a height advantage for fire, or Stalker Packs, who use active camouflage to observe, report, scout and ambush enemy forces. While most other clans utilise slaves in a small role during military operations, often providing security on their flanks and rear, or providing logistic aid, the Volendrunus Clan use them in large amounts. For each Pack, there are at least three slave packs. These are lead by a Captain, with two lances. Each lance has a Minor Ultra in command, and five slaves. Slaves are usually grouped by race, so these packs usually have 4-5 Jiralhanae, Sangheili, Human, Kig-Yar or Unggoy slaves, though mixed units do appear from time to time. Their usual equipment is a mixed assortment of Plasma Pistols, Plasma Rifles, or the Jiralhanae variant, and the Type-13 Pummeler, and accompanying hand grenades, such as the and then . They may also be equipped as specialists for other duties, such as carrying heavy weapons into position, including Fuel Rod Guns and Plasma Cannons, carrying long barrelled rifles for medium to long distance skirmishing and point defence shields. They utilise lightweight armour, which changes based upon their rank. Minors carry light weight armour, with a helmet, breastplate and fauld, majors increase this with pauldrons and greaves, while Ultras have more ornate helmets, vambraces and a full cuirasse. Unlike most other clans, who simply hand a slave subpar weapons and herd them in front of their own soldiers, the Volendrunus are so dependent on this class that their slaves receive substantial military training, albeit separately from their free masters. They are trained to be disciplined, well regimented and skilled, but also to be subservient and loyal to their masters. Culture Once members of the Tyraxus Tribe, the Volendruni originally shared much of their culture. These ideals of justice, honour and righteousness were corrupted, first by the increasing madness of Golus, then by their long exile in hostile space. The Volendrunus Clan are staunchly isolationist, having suffered substantially at the hands of Jiralhanae Clans. With their home world otherwise hidden, their only outside contact is either by trade, or slave raids. On their established homeworld of Asoduro, few worked in civilian jobs. Most trained for the military extensively. Almost all males of age train and serve at some point. The few that do work are often specialists at weapon or armour manufacture, or function as slave overseers. Many of the female members of the Clan also act as slave overseers in the men's stead, running their various slave run enterprises. On Asoduro, they enjoy basic amenities such as running water and electricity. Despite its high manufacturing output and large amounts of trade, individual members of the Clan are no wealthy. Because of the general desperation of their initial situation, the Clan work on a 'greater good' basis. While each member of the clan gets a wage for services rendered, especially in combat roles, the majority of wealth is funnelled directly back into the Clan's coffers, and is used to fund continued construction of their capital of Golis, funding their military reconstruction and their continued expansion. Education and military service go hand in hand with one another. Warriors are paid by the Clan for their services, with increasingly larger wages for increases in rank, and their family are compensated when a warrior dies in the line of service (Should they die in a non-combat accident or through cowardice, they will not be compensated, nor will they be compensated if he deserts, captured or surrenders.). Slaves are rarely owned by a single individual and are instead owned by the Clan as an entity. Quality of life inside the Clan is not excellent, but could certainly be worse. The entire Clan has a military infrastrucutre, with merchant ships acting as training for warship crews, medical facilities with military-grade equipment and the majority of manufacturing, resource extraction and food production being geared towards military supply. Because of the Clan's overall wealth, they've funnelled significant funds into the construction of Asoduro, creating a city where none otherwise stood and providing living space for the Clan. While the clan has certainly had its share of internal disputes, the amount one clan member relies on another creates an incredibly strong bond between them. Slaves form a large and vital element of the Clan, providing over half of its military capability and almost all of their work force. While Slaves are appreciated as important indentured servants in Tyraxan culture, the Volendruni see them as chattel, but still incredibly important to the clan. They are bartered and traded from other clans and stolen from their homes during raids. They perform almost every imaginable job at a low level, including manual labour administration, manufacturing and other areas. In the military, they also providing the majority of the manpower, providing flexibility and support to the better equipped Jiralhanae packs. Because of their hardships and their initially low supply of materials, many in the clan have become used to the rationing on clothing. Most dress in simply cloth robes, with men in half tunics and wraps, women in loincloths and wraps. Most cut and style their hair, and tattooing is popular. Thankfully, Asoduro has a warm climate year round, allowing them to dress as they need to. Equipment Warships Air and space craft Vehicles Armaments Personal Equipment Holdings The Clan have a single planetary holding, preferring to have their resources centred and under their direct control. Asoduro is a warm world year round. Mostly made up of small sized continents of vast savannahs, with equatorial jungle, the world itself does not lend well to raising anything but tough crops, but is good for raising animals. It also possess vast mineral wealth. The planet has several large herbivore and carnivore species, but few threatening ones, and suffers from few environmental disasters. The majority of the industry is devoted to extracting minerals, refining them and the manufacturing, using these raw materials to build substantial numbers of weapons, armour and vehicles. While the planet as numerous mines, farms and other structures dotted across it, the only major settlement is Golis. Originally constructed from the hulks of old warships, it features slightly cruder buildings than most other colonies, but it epitomises form over function, as well as providing resilience to bombardment. The oldest part of the city is the quarter originally built. Close to a slum, it is by far the largest, and most regulated. Sealed off from the others, it is used to house the numerous slaves of the Clan. Next to that is the industrial zone, featuring extensive numbers of refineries, factories and dockyards, where the huge slave force labourers, building the war machines of the close. Separated from both those areas is the newest part of the city, the home to the clan members. Newer, more liveable buildings, hospitals, shops and council chambers for the Chieftains mark this as the most advanced area of the city. The Volendrunus clan structure has become incredibly dependent on slavery, almost to the point where well over half the clan are slaves. slaves are purchased en-mass from traders, or garnered from slave raids, with the Volendruni preferring to attack mid-sized settlements with overwhelming force, usually causing them to surrender without firing a shot. Slaves provide almost all of their labour force, working in factories, in mines, on farms, on logging reserves, in administration positions, as servants of the more powerful members of the clan and as aides or advisers. A few with expert skills serve in more select roles, working specialist tasks and roles. Many serve as slave-warriors, making up over half of the Clan's military might. They work in packs of slaves lead by a captain of the clan, supporting the mainline infantry. Like Unggoy and Kig-Yar of the old Covenant, they provide both numbers and varied support, as well as that they' operate some light vehicles, operate turrets on armour vehicles and aircraft and operate low ranked crewman positions on warships. Lastly, the Volendrunus have several Gladiator slaves, most of them also serving as warrior-slaves. They represent the clan in the various Gladiatorial matches across Jiralhanae and Kig-Yar space. As dictated in the cultural doctrine text, the Tagran Scrolls, slaves are allowed no property, not even clothes, and are collared. The issued uniform usually for military and labourers consists of a hardened metallic harness that must be locked on. House hold slaves usually have a softer one constructed from leather materials. Depending on ranks and position, theses harnesses vary in complexity and design, incorporating pieces of technology to allow them to perform their job, or decoration to show their position. Slaves are worked long hours and fed enough to allow them to work. Any under the age of 12 are considered too young to work, and are usually left with their family, or in a crèche on slave children should they be bought as children, or otherwise separated. Unruly, slow and disobedient slaves are punishable with lashes, though overseers are instructed to give no more than thirty. Those that repeatedly disobey their masters are publicly punished, and the punishment usually matches the crime. No overseer would risk killing, maiming or hospitalising slaves in their charge, as they must pay for them out of their own pocket. Slaves live in the old quarter of the capital, often in cramped conditions with several other family groups and minimal facilities. They have entirely segregated land from the members of the clan, and this slave quarter is regularly patrolled by military forces to ensure order. The Clan possess almost 395,000 slaves far more slaves than any other Clan of their size. Almost half of these slaves are human, either bought from local markets or taken in slave raids from neighbouring systems. The next largest group is Jiralhanae slaves, making up a third of the slaves. Again, they are often bought from local markets, or captured during battles with other clans. The rest are made up of a mixture of Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Sangheili. The Volendruni have very particular about their treatment of 'new purchases'. During slave raids, they prefer to surround settlements with armour, warships and aircraft, and then ask their surrender. A surprisingly effective tactic, Once this is done, the captives are herded out of their settlements and into the cargo bays of their ships. Once done, they are taken back to Asoduro and moved from their ships to the orbital station, and brought to the station for processing. Similarly, slaves bought at market or traded for are placed in cargo and brought to be processed. At processing slaves are stripped of any and all belongings, and fitted with a collar. These collars are sturdy, metallic and once latched and impossible to get off without the appropriate tools. After this, they are interrogated to find their ideal position in the clan. Those that were soldiers before capture, or with a military history, or are a particularly impressive physical specimen are moved to the military processing centre, while all others would be sent to the regular processing. At the processing facility slaves begin their integration into the clan. During this phase they'll spend weeks learning the Jiralhanae language, and being indoctrinated into their new role of slaves. While learning the Jiralhanae language, these slaves will be reminded of their predicament. They'll be reminded that most of them surrendered voluntarily or that they were conquered in battle, that their government or their clan gave them up and couldn't protect them, and that the Volendruni will protect them. At the end of this, with high ranking Chieftains and officers (Generally those within the Volendruni inner circle or connected to it) can choose their pick of the slaves, usually picking the most excellent, skilled, intelligent or pleasing. Next, those slaves with specialised skills are selected, usually by overseers who require them. Last, everyone else, who have no specialised skills or experience are selected to fill work quotas in various labour areas. Those selected to go into the military are separated by race and trained in intensive military exercises, as well as Jiralhanae language. Learning to use Jiralhanae and Covenant weapons, vehicles and aircraft, most will be divided up to fill quotas in air, vehicle or starship crews, but mostly used for infantry. They have intense indoctrination lessons, focusing on rebuilding them so they are loyal and obedient to the clan. Once out of training, they are usually assigned to a unit. In armoured regiments, they operates Ghosts for scouting, and operate the turrets on a variety of armoured fighting vehicles, such as the Shadow transport, Wraith assault gun carriage or Scarab walkers. They'll also operate the side turrets mounted on Phantom dropships, and sometimes Banshee attack craft in squadrons lead by a Captain. On warships they function as the lowest level crewmen, cleaning and maintaining the ship, operating weapon systems under the guidance of a battery commander, working in the loading bays shifting cargo and operating low level systems in the ship. Lastly, their most common role is that of line infantry. Fighting in packs of 5, lead by a Volendruni captain, they go into battle with plasma pistols,plasma rifles and spikers, and provide a flexible infantry force capable of backing up the main line Volendruni infantry. They are usually grouped by race, and equipped by race. Jiralhanane slave packs are common, and fight as shock infantry with rifles. Sangheili slave packs are similarly organized. Unggoy packs are rarely used as direct combatants, and instead carry support weapons, such as plasma cannons or fuel rod guns, providing anti-armour strikes or defending a fixed position. Kig-Yar packs are equipped as one of three possibilities. They are armed with long rifles and deployed as marksmen, to suppress the enemy at afar, with pistols and point defence gauntlets to provide a defensive phalanx of shields, usually to cover advances or protect flanks, and as skirmishers, with just pistols, hounding and harrying the enemy, ambushing and outflanking them. Lastly, human slave-warriors are used in almost every area possible. Most are used as line infantry, with rifles supporting fighting on the front. They are also used as marksmen, shield infantry and heavy weapon specialists. Slave warriors are equipped with rudimentary armour, usually slightly less than their Volendruni masters. This consists of a helmet, usually stylised with long guards across the sides and a nose guard, a breastplate strapped to their chest, with a segmented design, and a short fauld, secured by a strap around their waist. However, once they are promoted from Minor to Major, they receive form fitting pauldrons and greaves and at ultra they have a slightly more stylised helmet, a more encompassing curiasse, vambraces and a more ornate design of fauld, with segmented components and longer design. The design of armour, and amount issued varies based on role and mission. Armour models are made for each race, and for each gender within those races, though female armour variants are made at a lower rate for all races. All slaves are branded with the Clan symbol, to show ownership by the clan. Once they have been selected, they are branded, the last part of their processing. This branding is done with a simple branding iron, heated and stoked in fires then pressed to flesh. The position of the brand varies upon the role of the slave, but is designed to be visible during their role. Slaves selected for work are branded on the right side of their chest, while slaves selected by Chieftains and Officers are branded on their right thigh, while slave-warriors are branded on their right buttock. Slaves are encouraged to settle with the clan and raise future generations. Those that have families usually receive preferential treatment, extra rations and better chances for promotion. By promoting slaves to reproduce, they can ensure a growth of their slave population. Inside the slave quarters are compulsory schools, where children are taught the most basic things they'll need, and are taught obedience and subservience to their masters. Notable Individuals Volendrunus Volendrunus is the embattled Chieftain of the clan, having lead them ever since he seized power from his father. Once Volendrunus was sworn brother to Tyraxus, and one of his inner circle. With their exile following his father's uprising, he lead his clan into the stars. Surviving numerous attempts to relive him of office, including direct challenges and subversive plots, he weathered them all, and thanks to his leadership, finding them a new home, and re-establishing them as a power, he has the loyalty of his clan once again. Now he leads them in their crusade, hoping to bring them back to the Tyraxus Tribe, and trying to save what little remains of his Clans honour. Despite the numerous failures and betrayals, he is immensely spry and energetic, this energy often transfers down to his subordinates, invigorating them. He's also an enormously talented politician, bureaucrat, ambassador, economist, general and warrior. However, there are moments he doubts himself, and the paths he's chosen. Urakus Urakus is Volendrunus' loyal blood brother, sworn to his protection and service for many years. The only son of Martanius, Urakus is a enormous warrior and what he lacks in wits and speed, he makes up for in resilience and steadfastness. He's stopped many an assassins blade, sometimes with his own body, and always protected his Chief. Close to Volendrunus since they were children, Urakus rarely leaves his side, and even more rarely leaves his Chief defenceless. Martanius One of the oldest Jiralhanane in the tribe, he was once adviser to Golus, father of Volendrunus. When he grew mad, he attempted to make Golus see reason, then tried to get Volendrunus to sway him from his path. He was the one who finally talked Volendrunus into usurping his father, and serves him as his closest aide and confident. An experienced military leader and politician, there's few scenarios he has not encountered. Jilanus Despite Martanius' wise counsel, Urakus' skill as a warrior and Volendrunus' own wits and skill, his survival was not just down to those factors. For better or worse, Volendrunus has the loyalty of Jilanus, one of the most skilled spies and Stalkers in the clan. Few things happen in the clan without Jilanus learning of it, and his spy network puts Volendrunus in communication with a great many clans that are supposedly opposed to him (And even a few contacts within the Tyraxus Tribe). Why Jilanus is loyal to Volendrunus is not known to most, but it is likely for his own ends. Puralim Puralim is Volendrunus' mate and confidante. Puralim is the daughter of Iramus, the uncle of Tyraxus and War Chieftain of the Tyraxus Tribe. Having known each other since they were children, Volendrunus asked her father to betroth her to him just before the disastrous siege that robbed Volendrunus of much of his family, and his father of his sanity. With the increasingly worsening relations between the Volendrunus clan and the rest of the tribe, their marriage ceremony was continually put off, until Golus began his uprising. When Volendrunus entered exile, Puralim came with him and married not long after the clan settled on Asoduro. Arneinax The War Chieftain of the tribe, he is is highest military power, and second only to Volendrunus. A fierce and ambitious war leader, he's lead many successful campaigns and rarely falters. A keen tactician and logistician, he's also a large proponent for the ever expanding use of slave warriors on the field, devising many of their training methods and tactics. Originally a political opponent of Volendrunus, and Volendrunus' policies, his appointment as War Chieftain was a political one, in order to unify the clan. Damakus Once a shipmaster of renown, he was known for his skill and focus, winning many a battle for the Tyraxi. Following his clan willingly into exile (Despite being away on distant duties during Golus' uprising), he adapted well to the role of privateer. A captain who rarely returns home without a big haul of plunder and slaves, Damakus and his slave-advisor Culn have become well respected for their skill. Oltukus While Volendrunus controls the clan, the next most powerful individual is Oltukus. A member of the old guard, and loyal follower of Golus, he has barely tolerated Volendrunus' control of the clan and is often the supporter of many of the would be assassins and usurpers. While Volendrunus can never prove it, he knows to keep one eye on Oltukus. Oltukus has calmed as of late, since Volendrunus has made the clan powerful and rich once again, but he is always looking for an opportunity to usurp him. Garanum Garanum is one of the most seasoned and experienced officers in the clan. A champion of a dozen campaigns, he has lead the clan's legions through many battles, and lead her ships in glorious battles. An expert strategist, his tactics often focus on overwhelming force and mobility, hence why the clan often fight in huge units, and rarely break down into smaller forces for battle. Dolgudus The overseer appointed for all of Golis city, Dolgudus is a powerful individual. In charge of slave labour for the entire city, he directs their efforts, control who gets which slaves and where. Taking his job with the utmost dedication, he ensures their entire economy keeps running smoothly. He has also maintains their records on each and every slave, though most of the process is automated. His faultless attention to detail and perfectly maintained records allow the clan to expand their home. Jolorim The Slave Master of the council chambers, Jolorim holds significant amount of power. The council chambers are in effect the palace of Volendruni, and the home of Volendrunus, his extended family and closest followers. A devout follower of Volendrunus, Jolorim runs the council chambers like clock work. An authoritarian slave driver, any slave that even looks at their High Ciheftain is punished. Salaqim Salaqim is another major political power in Volendruni society, and one of the most insidious. Opposed to Volendrunus on the basis that he prevents her from gaining power, she often manipulates other Chieftains. Sometimes joining them as a mistress, she controls them in secret and is constantly attempting to lie, cheat and manipulate her way into the inner council, in hopes of seizing more power. Kortodus Kortodus was once a regular warrior, serving the Clan as was asked of him. Promoted from Minor Ultra to Captain Minor, he was a warrior of little renown and little importance. That is until, the battle of Green Hills. A brutal invasion of a human settlement, he showed valour multiple times during the course of the attack. When humans fire bombed a vehicle, he pulled the survivors from the wreckage and dragged them to safety under fire. Later in the battle, he single handedly stormed a entrenched machine gun nest. His last action of the battle was during the closing moments of the fight. A human woman and her three children, hiding in their home, were trapped when it caught fire and collapsed. Kortodus got inside and rescued them, only for them to be dragged away into slavery. Kortodus is surprisingly sensitive and much of this weighed heavily on him. Upon learning of his valour in battle, Garanum passed this on to Volendrunus, who turned him into a hero for the Clan to rally behind. This only made it worse, and drove him into a depression. He still serves as an officer, but he often feels he lives a lie. He is accompanied by one of the humans he saved. Ranum Ranum is somewhat of an oddity. He's a voluntary Gladiator, willingly stepping into the arena of battle for fame, riches and glory. A long serving warrior of the Clan, he now represents it was a Gladiator. Better equipped and better trained than most other fighters, and with more experience, he's a terror in the arena. One of the few to ever beat him is Alcus. Rather than being jealous of Alcus, he's developed a healthy respect for him. Alcus Alcus is the single finest Gladiator in the clan. Bought as a child, he was raised in the clan as a slave, and found his way into the Gladiator pits on account of his raw skill, strength of arm and quick reflexes. A natural and Gladiator duelling, he rocketed through the leagues, to the point where Volendrunus himself sponsored Alcus' efforts. Alcus is not only a brilliant Gladiator of exceptional skill, he's also gentlemanly, humble and polite, especially to his defeated foes. Murukus Murukus was once a member of the Odacanus Clan, he had been a captain of some skill and renown. Fighting to defend his home against the Volendruni attack, he was buried under rubble left by an airstrike and rendered unconscious. Waking up, he found he and his fellow clan mates were in chains and slaves of the Volendruni. In transit back to Asoduro, his clan mates organised a riot, attempting to seize control of the ship and escape. Murukus, for whatever reason, simply chose to not participate. When the guards finished putting down the rioting slaves, Murukus was left sat in the middle of their prison. Despite his fervour as a warrior of the Odacani, he willingly became a slave warrior of the Volendruni. Rising to the rank of ultra in the slave packs in only two years, he is often seen at the front, cutting a bloody swathe for his fellow slaves to follow. Luracim When Luracim was taken from the slave holds of an intercepted Odacanus ship, her new owners imagined she'd make a fine slave, servant or even concubine. What happened next though, nobody could of expected. When imprisoned with a group of males, two of them attempted to rape her. In the following fight, she killed both, one by ripping his throat from his neck with her teeth, the other by repeated blunt force trauma to the head. After the resulting battle, she was questioned on her origins, but she refused to talk. Despite fears from more superstitious warriors she may be a Vrouw, it was decided her savagery would be wasted as a normal servant and she was trained as a slave-warrior. Near mute, she barely says a word, but happily tears into the foes of the clan. Urastim Formerly the daughter of the Chieftain of the Odacanus, when the clan fell she was captured and taken into slavery. Taken by Arneinax as his concubine, she's serviced him ever since. Formerly a woman of position and power, she doesn't take to concubinage well, preferring to think of herself as mistress to Arneinax, though Arneinax constantly reminds her of her true position. However, she is still experienced as a politician and advisor. Yuraan 'Gulo Yuraan 'Gulo is a former Sangheili mercenary turned slave warrior. Working for a Kig-Yar pirate, he was captured when the pirate underestimated the Volendruni. A pragmatic individual, he decided to discard his honour and surrender to the Jiralhanae. Recognising his skill as a warrior, he was immediately retrained as a slave-warrior. Launched into the fray of battle, his skill is unquestionable, but his discipline is lacking and his reckless attitude has resulted in numerous punishments, his back showing numerous whip marks. Kol A ruthless and violent criminal, he was captured trying to rob a Volendruni trader. Given a second chance as a slave warrior, his guile and cunning has allowed him to survive otherwise impossible odds. Kol Prefers to quietly kill his enemies with a blade in close quarters. Culn Culn was formerly a privateer captain of some renown, but when he robbed the wrong trader, he found himself hunted then the ultimate humiliation. He and his crew were captured and enslaved, then sold off. Finding himself bought by Damakus, he was valued by his experience as a pirate and raider and serves as advisor and aide. Culn is savvy and wily, and what he lacks in station he makes up for in experience. Annette K. Williams Annette was once one of the most successful big game hunters in UEG space. Before the age of twenty one, she'd hunted down numerous and deadly creatures, including Guta, an Alpha Drinol and many others. Intent on hunting a dangerous predator on Eayn, she instead found herself cornered by slavers and taken prisoners. Immediately bought up by Volendrunus, she was initially reluctant to serve a Brute as his slave, but he informed her she had an opportunity to hunt sentient prey, a offer she couldn't resist. An expert tracker and hunter, she isn't placed in standard warrior-slave formations, and instead goes where she is needed. Henry Wallace The personal aide of Kortodus, Henry follows him out of the debt he owes to him for pulling himself, his mother and two sisters out of their burning home during the siege of their settlement. Henry is tough, reliable and smart, and works as Kortodus' aide outside of combat, and during battle he watches his back, being trained as a skilled warrior. He's also one of the few that can pull Kortodus from his depressive spirals. Wen Cuu Originally a member of the Green Hills militia, after his defeat and capture, he was selected for the first round of military training. After his graduation from the training camp, he was handpicked by Jilanus to a member of his elite corps of Stalkers. Trained as a spy and infiltrator, Wen would use his very station, that of a slave, to infiltrate his objective, as slaves are beneath the notice of most. Smart and savvy, he's trained in espionage, spying, wetwork and black operations. Raven Schafter Taken during a Volendruni raid to bolster their slave numbers, she was spirited away with her fellow colonists to Asoduro and put into slave processing. Because of her intelligence and appearance, she was selected by Arneinax to the prestigious role of Hammer Bearer. This role would include maintaining, cleaning and caring for Arneinax's colossal war hammer, and carrying it for him, so it was always close at hand, whether it was in battle or in political meetings. For this role, she's been conditioned for obedience and to be steadfast, even under fire. She isn't defenceless, and has enough combat training to protect herself. To signify her special role, she wears a special uniform, consisting of a custom made metallic harness, with smooth red plating, with inscriptions and engravings matching those on Arneinax's own armour. Dmitri Melekov Dimitri he was originally a slave take during the occupation of Ruslan, and during his service as a slave, he caught the attention of Jolorim, for his serious nature and authoritative nature. He was broguht into the household slaves, those that serve under Jolorim in the council chambers, the home Volendrunus. He would rise to highest rak of the household slaves, the Master of the Slave Chambers. Serving Jolorim directly, he is strict and authoritarian, and maintains order among the slaves serving in the household. Arthur Van Aldabert Taken as a slave during a raid shortly after the Volendruni's arrival in the Urakas territories, Arthur proved his strength and will during his early years as a labourer, and was selected by Ranum, one of the champions of the Volendruni. Training under him to represent the clan in the gladiator pits, Van Aldabert proved to be an excellent gladiator, and a ruthless opponent. He's crushed numerous foes in the ring before him, and is destined to defeat a great many more for his masters. A hulking brute of a man, he fights in heavy armour, with a two handed club. Deiter Hohezzlehorn A slave of the clan, since before their break from the Tyraxi, Deiter has served diligently as a slave-soldier, often with little care for his own well being. Known to be reckless, he's thrown himself into many battles and came out with a number of battle scars. He's been demoted as many time as he's been promoted, and is commonly found as close to the front as he can get. Victoria Hargreaves-Winthrop The daughter of industrial magnate Carter Hargreaves-Winthrop, she was being groomed to take his place as head of Cynex, a corporation with significant investment in industrial and food production in neutral territories. Wayward and rebellious, she was a poor fit for the corporate ladder, but this all changed during a routine business trip to a recently built settlement in what was then known as the Attica Theta. Snatched by the Volendruni in a surprise raid on the colony, she was brought back and selected by Volendrunus himself as his bounty from the raid. Victoria found the position of trophy slave strangely satisfying, since for the first time in her life she wasn't given responsibilities, business quotas or shares to worry about. All she has to do is follower her masters orders, a life she considers easier and less stressful than her prior life. Her role in the clan is twofold. First of all, she is Volendrunus' trophy, as a symbol of his skill as a warrior and chieftain, capturing the offspring of a powerful human, intimidating Volendrunus' enemies and impressing his allies, especially his human acquaintances. Her second is that of pet, providing entertainment for Volendrunus and his mate, and companionship for Puralim when Volendrunus is away.